How Far

Chapter 12

His head was pounding, making it difficult to concentrate on the doctor's questions.

"Can you tell me your name?"

The ringing in his ears didn't help, either. "Guy. Gailardia."

"And what year is it?"

"Um, twenty…twenty-four."

"Where do you live?"

Now a light was being flashed in his eyes. First the right, then the left, then the right again. "Grand Chokmah. No, wait…. Baticul. The palace."

"And who are these people in the room with us?"

These were questions a three-year-old could answer, but his head hurt too much to complain. Not too much to be annoyed, though. "Colonel Curtiss, Emperor Peony, King Ingobert, and Princess Natalia." Did he get a gold star and a lollipop now?

"What is your relationship with the princess?"

Okay, this was getting a little too personal. "We're getting married in three days." He met Natalia's eyes, expecting a smile, but her somber expression didn't change. Actually, they all looked worried. Even Jade, though he was best at almost masking it.

He'd only taken a bit of a fall. His feint was unsuccessful and let whoever that was get a cheap shot in. It had happened before. No big deal. He'd only been out for a couple seconds, right?

The doctor nodded and scribbled on a tablet. "Good, no apparent memory loss. Any dizziness?"

"A little, but it's fading, I think." Sitting up no longer made him feel nauseous, and even the ringing in his ears was starting to diminish.

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

"One."

The doctor took a few steps backward. "And now?"

Guy squinted and hoped that was a trick question. "Still one."

"Good. Headache?"

"Like a mother—I mean, yeah."

The doctor nodded again, then addressed the waiting entourage. "Possibly a mild concussion. Nothing too serious as he's not experiencing memory loss or double vision, but I'd like to examine him further and give him something for the pain."

That last part sounded good. The pain was making him testy.

"And other than a few bruises, you look to be in good shape. No broken bones. You must have fallen well."

"Thank you," Guy said stupidly. He'd had enough practice at falling, and was lucky that his attacker had abandoned his awkward swordplay to knock him down bodily instead. Well, he guessed that was lucky. His pounding head probably wouldn't call it that. And had he been a less experienced fighter, things could have ended much differently.

The other man's sword had impaled the ground just to the right of his shoulder. From the stands, it must have looked much worse than it was. He guessed he couldn't blame everyone for hovering. He would be doing the same for any of them.

"Perform whatever tests you need, but if you'll excuse us, doctor, I need to speak to him privately first," the king said.

"Of course, Your Majesty. I'll be just outside."

However, when the doctor left, the king wasn't the first to speak. "I assume it just slipped your mind to inform me that one of my citizens was in danger," the emperor said, and Guy winced at the sharpness of his tone. The emperor had a very misleading temperament. He could be irreverent to the point of absurdity, he could be serious when necessary, but he seldom got mad. He and Jade had that in common. It was when they were outwardly angry that you knew it was bad.

"I'm fine," Guy answered, but he could have saved his breath.

"This is a closed investigation," the king replied. "The attack happened on my land to my kingdom's future prince."

"He's not your prince yet. Until he is, he's still a member of the Imperial Court."

"It's nice to feel so wanted—"

"Not now, Gailardia," the king snapped before addressing the emperor again. "As it is, we have the perpetrator in custody, and General Cecille is questioning him."

"Jade," the emperor ordered.

Jade was already striding toward the door. "On it."

"This is now a joint investigation," the emperor continued after the door had closed. "I'd ask if you have any objections, but I'm quite certain I won't be accepting any. And I expect that you will tell me everything that's happened. Please don't disappoint."

Natalia had remained silent, like a child trapped with her bickering parents. Her eyes, however, had stayed on Guy the entire time, and as she approached him, he could see the hazel shimmering with a mix of fear and relief.

For a moment he flashed back to the little girl she used to be, marching up to him with some command or other, bossy and much too close for comfort. Those times she'd try to get in his personal space and make him obey her, and all he wanted to do was get away from her.

He'd give anything for her to be bossy and demanding right now. He knew how much she hated feeling out of control. He wasn't a fan, either.

She came to a stop before the examining table, still without a word, and he took her hand. "Looks like it was me they wanted after all," he said quietly. "I'm sorry."

Her hand was warm, and she laced her fingers through his, squeezing tightly. "I swear, Gailardia, if you ever frighten me like that again…."

"I know," he answered. "I'm sorry." He couldn't put her at ease with levity this time. Whoever was against him had stepped up their game, had the means to turn a seemingly empty threat into reality. Whether they'd only meant to scare him or to kill him, he didn't know, and fortunately, he hadn't had to find out. Yet.

They were after him. He might not have cared in the past. He could deal with that. But he wouldn't put Natalia in danger. It wasn't about the politics of their marriage. It wasn't about international harmony or the good they could do for so many people.

And it sure as hell wasn't about friendship anymore.

As she continued searching his eyes, he knew it. Whatever hesitation he'd had a week ago about identifying it was gone.

Maybe he'd known that night he'd first kissed her. Maybe that was why he'd been reluctant to claim it went deeper than simple attraction. He'd stood there looking at her, as the moon chaperoned from the sky, as she'd stared at the ring he'd placed on her finger. Her eyes then had misted with bravely unshed tears of remembrance, of what she'd lost.

He knew how much Natalia had loved Asch. Guy wouldn't and couldn't replace him, or insist that she forget him. Never would he ask that of her.

But he wanted her to accept him. Not as a substitute, not as good enough, not as a friend who'd be by her side through whatever happened. It was so much more than that for him now, and it had only taken getting some sense literally knocked into him to admit it.

Her yellow scarf, the one given to him for luck, had been untied from his arm during the doctor's preliminary examination and sat on the table nearby. Was it random luck to have her in his life, or was it written in a Score they'd never hear? All they could know was that this marriage was their choice, it had been her decision in coming to him, and what would he have done if she hadn't? He might never have known how happy this strong, stubborn, giving woman could make him.

He had to tell her.

-x-x-x-

Natalia brought Guy's hand to her heart, clutching it to find that strength of his that said he was all right, needing that proof so she could believe it and breathe normally again.

It was a strange place to realize these feelings in. Everything in the infirmary was cold and angular. The lights were too bright, unnaturally so. The walls were a stark white, the tables and cabinets hard, wood and metal with unforgiving corners, and the instruments severe and silver. The clipped discussion between her father and the emperor wasn't the sort of background music one might have wanted for such an occasion.

But as she looked at him, none of that seemed to matter. She just needed to touch him, to see her reflection in his eyes, that calm, clear blue. How accustomed she'd become to seeking reassurance there.

The most important moments of their courtship had been unromantic by traditional standards, so it followed that this would be, too.

Though he'd done things properly, hadn't he, giving her a ring under the moonlight, waiting for the perfect moment. Why was it that she chose to propose in a greasy, cluttered workshop and to declare herself in a clinic that smelled like antiseptic instead of roses?

Waiting wasn't an option. She'd waited before, naively assuming there would be another chance, that there would be a later, an after. If she had one regret in life, it was that she hadn't gotten to tell Asch one last time, to make sure he knew.

It was a mistake she wouldn't make again. There was no later. There was only now.

She held Guy's hand against her breast, against her heart, and said the words she never thought she'd say to anyone else. "I love you." Her voice shook with the truth of it. She was in love with him, her best friend, everything he was and everything he meant.

Somehow it seemed anticlimactic to say it. Words weren't enough to capture something so profound, something that made her life whole again. She'd shut herself off from the possibility of feeling this way about someone new to save herself from the indescribable pain of being left behind with nothing but memories and unfulfilled dreams. Part of her soul had been ripped from her, and for years, she'd pretended it hadn't been like dying herself. She'd had to go on, for her friends, for her father, for her kingdom.

And through it all, Guy had been by her side, whether in flesh or in spirit. He'd understood and listened and given her strength when she'd needed it most.

Now she needed him most.

"I love you, Guy." If the words weren't enough, she hoped he could feel it in the way her heart was beating beneath their joined hands.

His mouth had opened as if he were about to speak, but then it curved into that slow smile that she felt like a caress. "Damn, I wanted to say it first." His voice was low and velvety, like a blanket she wanted to wrap around herself, and his free hand reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear. "I love you, Natalia." His fingers moved to brush her cheek, lingering there with a gentleness that she found herself leaning into like a pampered cat. "I am completely in love with you."

As long as it had been since she'd said the words, it had been even longer since she'd heard them.

Forgetting everything else, she leaned down to kiss him, her lips touching his properly, chastely, yet making her entire body tingle. His hand traveled from her cheek to her shoulder, down her arm, then slipped around her waist to pull her closer. That bit of encouragement led her to open her mouth and slide her hand around the back of his head to drag her fingers through his hair.

He sucked in his breath and broke away from her, his face contorted in pain.

She immediately dropped her hands. He hadn't been kidding about that headache. "I'm sorry, darling." She tried to step back, but his arm remained firmly wrapped around her. "I didn't mean to make it worse."

"Actually, you made me forget for a second." Though she could see the pain still in his eyes, he grinned at her. "No one ever healed me like you do."

Taking that as permission, she went to kiss him again.

"Wouldn't you agree, Natalia?"

This time it was her father's voice that made Natalia jump, and Guy reluctantly let go of her. They'd forgotten too much, apparently. "I'm sorry, Father, will you repeat that?" Heat spread over her cheeks, but she refused to be embarrassed to be caught comforting her injured fiancé.

The king looked annoyed, while the emperor looked amused. "I said, the ongoing investigation must remain confidential, but we'll need to put out an official story on what happened today. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, Father."

"Yes, sir," Guy added.

"Then as we're all in concord, any suggestions?"

"Yes, Gailardia," the emperor said, his amusement incongruous with the circumstances, "who would you say has just cause to attack you, besides the king, who seems none too pleased with your indecorous groping of his lovely daughter?"

Perhaps it was time to let go of worry, or at least set it aside, and focus on practicalities with calm and logic, but Natalia didn't think that frivolity was the right tack here. If her father's expression was any indication, he agreed.

"Well, if we were to go with the most likely explanation…." Here Guy paused as if he were thinking, but Natalia could tell he was fighting showing any pain. She reached for his hand again, and he grasped it readily, squeezing hard before continuing. "We could say one of Natalia's rejected suitors had taken it upon himself to challenge me for her affections."

She nodded. "Not only is it a believable story, it could very well be true."

"Both the princess and the position would be attractive prizes," he continued with another squeeze of her hand. She wasn't sure if it was a reflex against the pain or an apology for referring to her as a trophy to be won. "Someone could be driven to act before it's too late."

She hoped that was all it was. Someone she'd rejected, making a last effort to impress her.

Unfortunately, she knew better. As did they all.

But it still made a good explanation for the public until more information was known.

"For now, that should suffice," the king said. "We'll have a statement prepared to that effect, with no further comment."

There was a knock on the door, which then opened to reveal Bertrand, one of the royal guards. In light of the incident with Luke, the guards had raised their faceplates for immediate identification. It was still unknown who had told Luke that Guy had withdrawn from the exhibition, or if such misdirect had been intentional infiltration, another imposter or a traitor among the ranks. Natalia supposed anyone guilty wouldn't be foolish enough to stay around for questioning, but what better place to hide than in the uniform of the kingdom's elite?

"I beg your pardon, Your Majesty, but the Commander wishes to speak with you," Bertrand said in his scratchy baritone, like his throat was lined with sandpaper. Facial recognition in his case was unnecessary. He'd been with the guard since Natalia was a little girl. Even Luke would have known him by voice alone.

"In a moment," her father answered, then he turned to address her once more. "We will continue this later. I'll have the doctor resume his tests in the meantime."

"Thank you , Father."

Oddly, this left the three of them alone in the room together. The emperor made no similar overture. Surely he had inquiries of his own to make.

"Well, well, isn't this peculiar," he drawled, casually crossing his arms. "It's not often I get to play the chaperone. I'm sure to do a poor job of it."

If that was permission to resume their display of affection, Natalia wasn't going to oblige him. She looked to Guy, who'd shut his eyes either in exhaustion or exasperation.

She was about to go retrieve the doctor herself—Guy had always been a trooper, but she knew he needed those painkillers—when her own picture caught her eye. In the emperor's folded arms was a book with her image on the cover. "May I ask what it is you're reading?"

The emperor held the book up for her inspection. The cover illustration featured both her and Guy and was an artist's rendering, as opposed to their official engagement portrait, which she was used to seeing on commemorative items such as teacups and thimbles. It was also a bit more… dramatic. None of her gowns had a neckline that low. "The charming Miss Tatlin has been selling these outside the coliseum. I'd be surprised that you didn't see her yourself, if not for the large crowds. She must have the most popular booth along the promenade."

"Does she indeed," Natalia answered.

-x-x-x-

Natalia had stayed with Guy through the doctor's remaining exams. There was no lollipop waiting for him at the end of the gauntlet, but he did finally get the painkillers. Now his brain felt like it was wrapped in layers of cotton, but it was preferable to the pounding of a hundred tiny hammers.

Instead of returning to the palace, she insisted on finding Anise down in the temporary bazaar of souvenirs and other royal memorabilia. Fine, he was curious, too, even if he wanted sleep more. But that wasn't allowed for a few more hours, until it was certain his condition didn't become more severe, so to the promenade they walked.

Due to the increased threat, their accompanying guard had likewise increased. A contingent of six guardsmen surrounded them, keeping the public at bay. He didn't mind being recognized—he didn't much care for it either, but he accepted it—yet this made him feel more conspicuous. He appreciated the caution, but losing his autonomy was something he hadn't completely come to terms with yet.

He held Natalia's hand as they walked, their fingers entwined. That little bit of normality was an oasis of sanity in the middle of all this.

And he saw the advantage of the guards as they approached Anise's booth. The crowds parted like curtains in the breeze. Well, that would have been the poetic way to put it. In actuality, they were much less subtle. Natalia treated her entourage like a battering ram, pushing its way through everything in its path.

Anise and Florian stood behind a table, two stacks of books resting on the surface, several empty boxes discarded underneath. The book's cover featured an illustration of Guy in a dashing swordfigthing pose and Natalia swooning in a diaphanous gown. In bold dramatic font, the title promised The Incredible True Love Story of Princess Natalia and Count Gailardia, but then, at the bottom, in very small print… A Novel. She was a clever one, all right.

In front of Florian sat a money box and a sign that read, "Thank you for supporting the Reformed Order of Lorelei."

Yeah, Anise was really good.

"Anise!"

"Natalia!" Anise mocked Natalia's impatient tone. She was in uniform with her hair up in a severe twist similar to the way Jozette wore her hair while on duty. She looked like a model representative of the Order, which naturally made Guy and Natalia suspicious.

"I'm sure you have an explanation for this," Natalia continued.

"And, hey, I'm fine," Guy added. Not that he was seeking attention.

"Of course you are," Anise said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Luke told us. But I have to say, your fall was great for sales!"

"This is all we have left," Florian said. To avoid comparisons to Ion and find his own path, Florian had ultimately decided against serving the Order in an official capacity, and so was dressed in nicely tailored civilian coat and trousers to match Anise's businesslike appearance. He'd also cut his hair extremely short, and while he'd grown into a pleasant-looking young man, he still had a bit of a baby face. It made him imminently trustable, and Anise took full advantage of the fact. As a result, the two of them could be a dangerous pair.

"I'm waiting," Natalia warned.

Any explanation was obvious, but Anise answered anyway. "Royal weddings only come around so often. Did you think I wasn't going to get in on this somehow?"

"And this is your contribution to our legacy? A tawdry bodice-ripper?"

"Your proposal was so boring! So I jazzed things up a little," Anise replied with a careless shrug. "And people seem to like it. I had to raise the price, it's been selling so fast. Should have printed more. Who knew, right?"

"It's cheap and salacious."

"It's supply and demand," Anise countered. "Honestly, Natalia, someone in your position should really understand how capitalism works."

Guy picked up a copy and flipped through it. The names were familiar, but not much else. He was pretty sure most of these places didn't even exist. Then a particular word caught his eye. "I get to fight a dragon? Awesome."

Natalia looked intrigued in spite of herself and searched a second copy for the same page. "What about me? I want to fight the dragon, too."

"No, you get to nurse Guy back to health."

Natalia's eyes narrowed. "That's terribly sexist, Anise. I expect better from you."

"It's a classic romance trope," Anise explained. "People would be disappointed if I didn't go there."

As Natalia continued her litany of complaints—which were valid, sure, but he was kind of impressed with Anise's ingenuity regardless—he thumbed through a few more pages. "So, do I get the girl in the end? Wait, don't tell me. I want to be surprised when I finish reading my free copy."

"Free?!" Anise repeated the word as if he'd said "poisoned".

"Yeah," Guy answered. He closed the book and tapped a finger against the cover illustration. "I mean, it's my face on the front. Good likeness, by the way."

"I designed the cover," Florian said proudly.

"Nice work, my man."

"Yes, I believe I'm entitled to a free copy as well," Natalia said.

Two free copies. Two lost profits. Poor Anise, but she should have seen this coming. She was lucky Natalia was letting her off at all. "But a percentage of the proceeds go to the Reformed Order of Lorelei!" she protested.

"What percentage?" Natalia asked with a skeptical arching of her brows.

"That's to be determined," Florian answered, and Anise glared at him. She clutched the money box to her breast like a mother protecting her newborn.

"In that case," Natalia said, "I believe fifty percent to be a reasonable allotment. Wouldn't you agree, Guy?"

He didn't know where she was going with this, but he was on board. "Yeah, I'd say that sounds about right."

"Fifty?" Anise's voice went up another octave in dismay, then she sighed. "Fine, fifty percent."

Natalia closed her copy of the book and examined the cover with a shake of her head. It was clear she didn't appreciate being cast in the swooning damsel role, and Guy didn't dare say out loud that he found it a little hot. It must have been the dress. Florian could draw a dress. "And as I'm the subject of this work, I want twenty-five percent of the proceeds to go to the Baticul Centre for Replica Welfare."

Florian beamed at her, while Anise helplessly watched her profits disappear before her eyes.

"And, Guy, as co-subject, where would you like your twenty-five percent to go?" Natalia asked with an exaggerated flutter of her lashes.

He scratched his chin in faux contemplation as Anise continued to chafe. "I think Anise's generosity would be most appreciated by the Malkuth War Orphans' Fund," he replied. "A cause near and dear to my own heart, and I hope to hers now as well."

Natalia nodded her approval, her hazel eyes shining with humor despite her otherwise stern demeanor. Bossy princess, swooning damsel… yeah, either way worked for him. "So, you'll see to that, then, Anise," she said, and it was not a question.

Anise grumbled something that was an assent or a curse or both.

And as they walked away with their free books in hand, Florian's cheery voice called after them. "Thank you for supporting the Reformed Order of Lorelei!"